France picked up two gold medals while there were also wins for the Czech Republic and for reigning short course world marathon champion Vanda Kiszli of Hungary on the opening day of senior competition at the ICF canoe marathon world cup in Paris.

 Marine Sansinena, who finished fifth over the 3600 metre C1 race at the 2019 world titles in China, proved too strong on the Vaires sur Marne course, the venue for the canoe sprint and paracanoe events at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

French teammate Pauline Martin took the silver, with German Maya Miller completing the podium.

Quentin Urban picked up a second gold medal for France, holding out world long distance marathon champion Mads Pedersen in the men’s K1 short distance race, with France’s world championship silver medalist Jeremy Candy finishing third.

Kiszli confirmed her status as the world’s most formidable female paddler with a powerful win in the women’s K1 short distance final. Sweden’s Melina Andersson was second and Denmark’s Pernille Kui Hostrup third.

Czech Jakub Brezina, the bronze medalist from the men’s C1 short distance race at the 2019 world championships, took home the gold in Saturday’s race in Paris.

He finished ahead of Frenchman Thomas Dubois Dunilac, with Germany’s Simon Krautloher third.

The ICF canoe marathon world cup finishes on Sunday with the long distance marathon races.